The San Saba news. [volume] (San Saba, Tex.) 1873-1966, 1887-02-25
CASTOR BEANS.
A LEADING INDUSTRY IN TWO
ILLINOIS COUNTIES.
Preparing the Ground and Planting
Harvest scenes-Popping the
Beans - Pressing Out the
OiI-Using the Refuse.

Oit-using the Refuse.
In Southern Illinois the castor bean
acreage is over 10000, Jefferson and
Franklin counties having perhaps the
largest amount OF territory used in rails
ing the article. A Chicago Tribune cor
respondent. writing from Centralia, says:
4 soil that will answer for wheat or
corn will suffice for the castor bean.
Wet, heavy soils cannot be utilized. The
sandy loan is always preferable. Soil
for the planting of beans should be pre-
pared about the same as for corn or
wheat The ground is laid off in rows
six feet apart, the seventh row Deing
omitted to allow vehicle TO pass through
TO gather the beans when ripe.
The seeds are put into very warm
water ard allowed to remain twenty four
hours before being put INFO the ground
Unless this is done they do not germinate
properly and arc a long time showing
themselves above the ground. Some
people take the precaution TO put sew
eral unsoaked seeds into hill for fear
the cut Worms may take the first 10
sprout. and the other will eventually
take their place Planting eight seeds
TO hill a bushel viii plant fifteen to
twenty acres, and the planting should be
done after frost time. as frost quickly
destroys the plant The cultivation OF
the growing crop is about the same as
corn, tine weeds being destroyed and the
earth kept open aud mellow. When the
plants l.1ye-receiyod good start the
number n each hill is reduced to one or
two. Ono strong, healthy plant will
produce better results tn n two in the
same hill When the plant reaches the
height Of two feet it is capable of its own
care aud needs no more attention, except
after heavy rains, which make it neces-
snry 70 60 through the field with cult
vator. breaking tse crust which has been
formed.
When August comes in the leans be-
gin TO ripen. They arc produced in pods
or hIsks on spikes Of various lengths,
and should be gathered as soon as the
pods begin TO turn brown TO prevent
their loss by popping out on the ground,
as beans when ripe popor burst from the
pod and iiy oil quito distance. They
are gathered by cutting of the entire
Der, being produced and ripened in sue
cession until frost. Of course none but
the brown pods arc cut. These spikes
are then thrown into wagon or sled
passing through the broad rows and
hauled away to the popping yard, which
IS made on a piece OF land near the bean
fiold, sloping to the south so rs to get as
much benefit from the sun as possible.
There are two WAYS Of making the pop
ping yards. Be some the sod is cut off
and the ground rol cd down hard and a
fence made around the yard to keep the
popping beans from getting away. An
other plan-and thas i considered best
lis TO build a big floor, around which
muslin or canvas to the hight of ten feet
is run, the top being left open to admit
the sun. The spike5are placed on the
floor, the action OF the sun makes them
pop, aud they are lie. / turned and
stirred up until the beans have all left
the husks. The same process is gone
through with until the entire crop has
thus been shelled. Care must be taken
not to allow the beans to get wet, as it
ruins them The mass OF husks and
beans, after the popping process is over,
Is put into tanning mill and cleaned,
when the beans are ready for the mar
kct. Board floors arc best because they
prevent the mixing in OF small stones
and bits Of earth, which cannot be taken
out with the tanning mill. The floors
are generally painted black, the idea be-
ing that black draws the sun. After the
beans begin to ripen the field is gone
~,
This work IS done mostly by children, in
which so many southern Illinois families
are SO prolific, some having as many as
twenty three in family. Three brothers
down here have between them seventy
two children, who have probably gath
cred enough beans in a day to furnish
physic for the earth.
The yield depends much upon the at
tention the plants have received from
the cu.tivator, upon the season, and
upon the care exercised in ripening and
gathering. From fifteen to twenty-five
bushels to the acre is the average. It is
claimed that farmers do well in raising
this crop, as It is moro rcmunerative
than many others. 1t is not difficult
crop to gct to market, and can be taken
by team OF sent by river or railroad.
The proprietors OF the oil-works at |
Belleville get beans almost by the train |
load. as high Is twenty car loads stand |
ing on the tracks at one time. The near
farmers haul them in in wagons. upou
the arrival Of which at the works they I
arc weighed in bulk on wagon scales. ]
The beans are tested By having quan
iity put into a testing machine holding 1
about a half gallon. 4 prime bean mnst |
weigh forty SIX pounds, or at least not
less than forty-two pounds to the bushel. I
Anything under forty-two down 10
thirty eigh. is called a No. bean. The
beans hlving been tested as to their
weight as they come in, the quantity 20 /
tested is put into sieve and AL the re-
fuse taken out and put back in the tester.
which gives the percentage Of refuse in
100 pounds. From the number of
POUNDS man has in his wagon this per-
centage Of refuse is deducted. The
average IS 4 per cent.
The castor bean is bought according
to the rules Of the st. Louis Exchange,
When n lot Of, say. tweuty carloads I
comes in, a small sack is file with /
beans from all the cars and sent TO the
inspector at ST. LOUIS. lie makes a
report, giving the percentage Of refuse,
and on the basis Of this inspection the
entire cargo is taken and mid for at the 1
contract price il contracted for. and at
the ruling pri-e at the exchange if other /
wise The beans are then hauled in
wagons having immense boxes which
hold zoe bushels, and are stored in huge
bins in the factory.
The beans, to make oil, arc put into a
press ind the oil pressed out This is
then PIT through 4 course Of rectifca-
ton. On an average one bushcl Of
beans makes a gallon Of oil. Different
grades OF beans make the different
grades Of oil, which is not, as some (
suppose, used entirely for medicinal
purposes. The higher grades arc made
up mostly in tin caas; the lnbricating in
barTcs The oil works manuia -ture
8. coo barrels 4 year The works en-
p'oy sixteen hands and sell their goods
IN over the United States, confining
their sales to wholesale houses in guam
titles not less than fve-barrel lots. Thcs
pomice or refuse of the cas;or-beans i
L 4 Z